Flying the Nest
by silvermoongirl10
Summary: It's time for Jamie to leave home and his brothers are there to soothe his worries.


**A/N this is just a quick one shot as I got my A-level results today and I'm going to University! So I'm really pleased and as I'm leaving home the end of next month I felt like writing this. I hope you enjoy!**

Jamie was stood in his bedroom and looked around sadly. Today was the day that he was leaving home to go to Harvard and even though he was excited to be moving on to what he felt was the next adventure. He was still anxious about what was ahead for him, at 18 he felt old enough to do his own thing and despite knowing his parents loved him he wanted to get away, as it were, so they would stop treating him like the baby of the family. He knew Danny and Joe were a little (a lot for Danny) disappointed that he was choosing to be a Lawyer instead of becoming a cop but they (mostly Joe) were putting on smiles knowing it was going to be hard for Jamie to leave home. Erin had studied Law in the city and had tried to convince him to do the same, but when the acceptance from Harvard came through she then pushed him to go there knowing it was a unique opportunity.

"You all packed?" Jamie turned to see Joe and Danny stood in the doorway,

"Yeah just about" sighed Jamie answering Joe's question.

Joe frowned and walked further into the room so he could stand beside Jamie, "what's wrong Jamie?"

"Nothing's wrong" Jamie quickly stated.

"Jamie" sighed Danny walking into the room, "we're your brothers you can't hide anything from us. Come on kid what's the matter?" Despite how often he and Jamie fought, Danny didn't want Jamie to leave after an argument. And if he was honest with himself he didn't like seeing Jamie upset or worried and he didn't want Jamie to leave.

"It's just...I'm gonna be in Boston and you're all here" Jamie said slowly, looking down at the floor.

"Jamie it doesn't matter where you are we're always gonna be there for you" comforted Joe wrapping an arm around Jamie's shoulders.

"But it's 215 miles away! It's like a four hour drive!" groaned Jamie. He felt like an idiot for worrying about leaving home and felt embarrassed admitting this to his brothers.

"And only just over an hour by plane. It doesn't matter Jamie how far away you are. You need us and we _will_ be there" stressed Danny. Jamie looked up at Danny and then sighed as he lowered himself onto the bed and looked around his now basically bare bedroom.

"It hadn't sunk in, but now seeing most of my stuff packed away it just feels so _real_" confided Jamie his eyes flickering around the room. Joe and Danny shared a look and then Joe sat one side of Jamie and Danny sat the other.

"Jamie it's normal to be scared" commented Joe,

"I'm not scared! Concerned _maybe_" interrupted Jamie,

"_Concerned_? Kid in this situation it's called being scared" Danny stated then seeing the look on Jamie's face he rushed to add, "And it's _fine_. Like Joe said it's _normal_, every student feels the same and if any of your fellow students say they aren't scared or worried then they are _lying_. Trust me Jamie you're feeling the same as everyone else who has left home for the first time"

Jamie paused and let these words sink in and then sighed, "I'm worried that I'm gonna fail and disappoint everyone"

"Jamie you are not gonna disappoint anyone in the family. The _only_ thing you can do that would disappoint us would be to get yourself arrested or do something you didn't want" said Joe, he and Danny noticed how Jamie tensed at the mention of doing something he didn't want and they ignored it. Knowing with minutes before Jamie left now wasn't the time to tell him to instead go to the Academy, something they knew Jamie really wanted.

"Jamie we're not gonna be disappointed, you're going to a University _no one_ in this family has _ever_ gone too. You're going to one of the top Universities in the _country_. So how could we be disappointed about that? That's something you should be proud of, that is something we _are_ proud of" added Danny.

"Really?" pleaded Jamie looking at each of his brothers.

"_Really_" stressed Joe and Danny.

Jamie with his head lowered nodded and then he sucked in a breath and his face took on a determined look. "Right. Let's do this. I'm gonna be the best I can be"

"That's the spirit!" smiled Joe. The three brothers then turned to look at the window hearing their dad press the car horn letting them know it was time for Jamie to leave.

Danny was the first to stand and turned to look at Jamie and held out a hand, "come on kid your chariot awaits" Jamie took Danny's extended hand and also stood. They made their way to the door, Jamie was the last to leave and with one more look at his bedroom he closed the door.

Outside Jamie was hugging people goodbye, Frank was driving Jamie to Boston with Mary. She had stubbornly refused to be left behind when it was her youngest who was leaving home. Jamie had hugged his grandparents, Linda, Jack and Erin and was in the process of hugging Nikki.

"I'm going to miss you Uncle Jamie" whispered Nikki trying not to cry not wanting to upset Jamie.

"I'm going to miss you too kiddo" murmured Jamie, "be a good girl and I'll call when I can and you can tell me what you're up to okay?"

"Okay" mumbled Nikki as she squeezed her arms tighter around Jamie.

Jamie stood up and then hugged Joe, "you'll be alright Jamie you'll see" comforted Joe, "and don't forget to call or email got it? I wanna hear all about what it's like there"

"You got it Joe" smiled Jamie. Then he turned to Danny.

Danny opened his arms "come here kid"

Jamie smiled as he walked into the tight bear hug, "I'll make you proud Danny"

"You already have kid" smiled Danny, the hug lasted a few seconds and quicker than Danny would have liked Jamie was in the car and then gone from sight. Danny wiped a hand across his face.

"Are you _crying_?" demanded a smiling Joe,

"_No_" retorted Danny,

"_Sure_. Admit it. No matter what you've said you're gonna miss him" smirked Joe crossing his arms.

"You are as well"

"I know"

Danny sighed, "Yeah I'm gonna miss that kid and his goofy smile"

With one more look at the road where the car disappeared from sight Joe and Danny turned back into the house and went back up to Jamie's room. And recalled their favourite memories of their younger brother.

**The End.**


End file.
